Skymount Lake is suffering from a double-whammy of water problems, the ongoing proliferation of invasive plants and now pollutants clouding the water, apparently from the work being done on the nearby Pennsylvania Turnpike.

            "It does appear that the turnpike construction is stirring things up and the water has taken on cloudy conditions that are consistent with the color of the earth they are working on – kind of a reddish tint – and at least one neighbor has been experiencing excessive sediment from his well," said Burt Shive, a member of the parks and recreation committee.

            Mitigation of the problem is complicated by the fact that the work is taking place in Bucks County and Skymount is in Montgomery County.

            Marlborough Public Works Director Steve Fulmer investigated the problem and Manager Marybeth Cody notified several state and local authorities. Cody noted in her administrative report that the site has "poor erosion and sedimentation controls at the construction site."

            Shive made a pitch to the supervisors to once again approve funding to contract with Princeton Hydro, a lake management company, to treat the lake in order to combat invasive plants such as Eurasian watermilfoil and hydrilla. Shive first alerted the supervisors to the problem in February of 2020, and since then the lake has been treated by Princeton Hydro.

            Shive said the members of the parks and recreation committee are in agreement that treatment must continue and warned the supervisors that the $15,000 in grant money spent on weed remediation last year will have been wasted if the treatment is not repeated this year.

            "I tried to forewarn everybody it's going to be a three to seven-year project, and we got year one so far," Shive said.

            While the township will again try for a grant, treatment would have to begin in May at a cost of slightly less than $15,000. Shive expressed disappointment that money was not budgeted for the project.  "We need to figure out how to pay them," he said.

            The supervisors declined to make a commitment on funding until grant opportunities are explored, but Member Bill Jacobs urged the board to assume that no grant will be forthcoming and to act accordingly.

            Cody also related that vandalism has recently taken place at Skymount. Porta potties were knocked over twice and some "donuts" marred the grounds.

            In a bit of good news for the parks, Cody told the supervisors that the township has received $18,524 from FEMA to compensate for damage done to Marlborough parks during Hurricane Ida. The board approved Cody's recommendation to purchase new mesh benches in Finland Park using some of the money.

            Don Lynch, chief of Freedom Valley Medical Rescue, addressed the board about the recent merger of Harleysville and Trappe ambulances services under the umbrella of the new organization which maintains four stations, including one in Green Lane, and seven ambulances to cover 11 municipalities.

            Lynch assured the board that staffing shortages, a nationwide problem since the onset of COVID, are being addressed, primarily through a training institute started about 18 months ago.  "We now actually teach and train our own EMTs," Lynch said.

            Freedom Valley has also started a community wellness program aimed at those who abuse the 911 system with multiple unnecessary calls. Representatives reach out to these "frequent fliers" to determine the root cause of the calls.

            "Sometimes it's they haven't been taking their medication properly, so, therefore, they become short of breath or diabetics that haven't been taking their insulin properly," said Lynch.

            Freedom Valley sends out people to meet with the patients and develop a plan that will reduce the need for 911 calls.  "It's been helping the call volume a little bit," Lynch said. "But it's helping the right cause. It's taking care of the patient all around."

            The organization is planning to start replacing its vehicles, all of which have at least 150,000 miles on the odometers, one a year for six years.

Lynch lauded the township for its historical support of ambulance services. Freedom Valley has a "fair share" formula that Marlborough falls into, unlike a couple of other municipalities.

            "Marlborough has always been very generous with their contribution," Lynch said.

            The Haines Historical Foundation Museum Welcome Center on Geryville Pike still needs approval for a small flow treatment facility for sewage disposal on the property. The foundation is seeking permission to discharge treated sewage into the Macoby Creek.

            Marlborough wants to address several items with the foundation before the application is submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.  

            The township will be sending out a notice about dead trees with its tax notices. The notice advises residents of "Things to check for on a dead tree" and states that residents are responsible for having dangerous dead trees taken down.

            Comcast's cable agreement with the township is still not finalized after a year of negotiations, and last week the board voted to contract with Cohen Law, which is working with a consortium of Montgomery County municipalities, to get the agreement finished.

            The next supervisors meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 8.